- Date
- November 12, 1982, 23:03 local (Nov 13, 1982, 06:03 UTC)
- Place
- Fountain, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3641TPiper 601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report November 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821112059679A
- Case key
- 70731
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After taking off at aprx 2250, the acft was identified on radar & observed to climb on course to an alt of 10,700 ft. the acft then descended thru 10,500 ft & the crew reported they would maintain that alt. At about 2301 the acft was about 5 mi se of Colorado springs,CO & at 10,300 ft when radar contact was lost. The acft crashed in that area in a nearvertical descent. The outboard 8 ft of the right wing had separated in flight & impacted about 1/4 mi from the main wreckage. The right aileron had sheared in 3 pieces also, & was found near the failed wing. There was evidence that the the wing had yielded to a down & up loading (1 cycle) when it separated upward & rearward. All fracture surfaces had evidence of overload failures except the aileron control linkage which was further damaged on impact & could not be evaluated. Both plts were using medication that was contraindicated for use by airmen, & both plts had little sleep during the previous 48 hrs. Before the flt the plt seemed agitated & the coplt had an odor of beer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3641T
- Reported as
- Piper 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61PO81880634
- Airframe hours
- 948
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Denver Charters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- W.D. Harrington
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 7,200 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.